Stephen Witt: ‘Music piracy is illegal – but morally, is it wrong?’

Kitty Empire talks to Stephen Witt about his eagerly awaited book charting the rise of the MP3 file, the online pirates who exploited it and the record industry that ignored its cultural impact until it was far too lateExtract: Going for a song: the hidden history of music piracy How Music Got Free is in essence the gripping tale of three men: Karlheinz Brandenburg, the German scientist whose lab cobbled together the MP3; Doug Morris, the old-school record company executive who presided over the rap boom and began the fight-back against piracy; and Bennie Lydell “Dell” Glover, the North Carolina CD pressing plant worker, whose light fingers and computer skills singlehandedly led to a haemorrhage of A-list rock and hip-hop releases – Eminem, Kanye West, Queens of the Stone Age, Björk – being freely available on the internet two weeks before release.The three men never met, but Witt reveals how their lives overlapped and irrevocably changed those of anyone who listens to music. Brandenburg’s genius lay in shrinking sound files down so that they could easily be sent over the internet, back when most files were huge and modems still dialled up. Owing to the bitter internecine rivalries within acoustic engineering, no one recognised the scope of Brandenburg’s technology; the inferior MP2 kept winning industry accolades and commercial applications. Universal executive Morris presided over an industry rich from the obscene profits generated by CD sales, until the secretive... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #cd sales #balance sheets

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For the Love of Gospel Music: Robert Darden

Robert Darden is both a scholar and an evangelist of black gospel music, seeking to preserve it through archival work and to write its history. His new book illuminates how spirituals carried messages not only of hope for the next world but freedom in this one. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IPA protests to Spain on piracy

The International Publishers Association has written a letter to Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, warning that the country’s new Intellectual Property law is an inadequate response to the threats posed by piracy. In the letter, IPA secretary general Jens Bammel said that IP crime was a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'At least 20' French publishers in Scribd piracy tussle

The French digital book watchdog Groupement pour le Développement du Livre Numérique (GLN) has identified at least 20 French publishers whose books are being offered to Scribd subscribers without the agreement of the authors or publishers, according to GLN media spokesperson Elizabeth Sutton. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors on the Air October 16, 2014: Stephen Mansfield

Stephen Mansfield, author of 'The Miracle of the Kurds' (Worthy Publishing, 9781617950797), will appear on 'Hannity' on Thursday, October 16. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen Fry seeking digital makers for global YourFry storytelling project

Publisher working with WeTransfer to make text, audio and images available for creators alongside new autobiographyStephen Fry is the new Slash from GunsnRoses. But not for reasons related to chemical overindulgence, hats or windswept guitar solos.Slash was one of the first individuals to have... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Man wrongly identified by Fairfax Media as terrorism suspect 'may sue'

Mans photo published in front-page stories on Abdul Numan Haider, shot dead by police after allegedly stabbing two officers Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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News Corp: Google is a 'platform for piracy' with 'cynical management'

News Corp, Rupert Murdoch's media behemoth, is the latest source of criticism of Google. Robert Thomson, the chief executive of the company -- responsible for the Times and the Sun in the UK as well the book publisher HarperCollins -- has written to the European Commission to complain that the... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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You’re using analytics wrong: five mistakes publishers make with their data

What do most people think of when they think of analytics? Metrics and measurement, mostly. Limiting analytics to just metrics and measurement limits what you can do. How does a publisher make the leap from metrics to action? Sponsor content by Parse.ly. The post You’re using analytics wrong:... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Higgs boson could destroy the universe in the wrong conditions

That Higgs boson that everyone was so eager to find last year? As it turns out, it could be the end of everything -- in the wrong circumstances, anyway. In his upcoming book Starmus, Stephen Hawking notes that the once-elusive particle could become... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michelle Phan Sued Over Music Rights: How Will Brands and Influencers React?

Makeup guru Michelle Phan, one of YouTube's most popular publishers with over 6.7 million subscribers, may have the vast influence that can give brands the exposure they crave. But, that hasn't stopped electronic dance music label Ultra from suing her for allegedly using its music without the... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Claim Apple Order Illegally Hobbles Return to Agency Model

In appeal filings last week, lawyers for Simon & Schuster and Macmillan contend that Judge Denise Cote's injunction against Apple has made a timely return to a “no-discount” agency model for ebooks all but impossible. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Spain: Recession Hampers Translation, Piracy Stalls Ebooks

Anna Soler-Pont reports that as publishers have endured the recession, literary translations take backseat, while piracy still hampers ebook adoption in Spain. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Spanish police arrest three for illegal book publishing

Police say 1,000 published books and 10 computer hard discs seized from photocopying facilities in Madrid and SevilleSpanish police have arrested three people on suspicion of illegally scanning and then unlawfully publishing books on a massive scale. Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen Colbert has a new way to 'really show Amazon'

When Colbert asked viewers to pre-order Hachette author Edan Lepucki's upcoming novel 'California,' the book shot to the top of independent bookstore Powell's sales list. Now Colbert asks fans to help him get the book on The New York Times bestseller list. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon rebrands Cloud Player with launch of Amazon Music 3 for mobile and desktop

Amazon has refreshed its entire collection of cloud music apps with the releases of Amazon Music for Windows 3.0, Amazon Music for Mac 3.0, Amazon Music for iPad and iPhone 3.0 and Amazon Music for Android 3.0. All four platforms share similar updates, and accompany Amazon’s foray into music... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #music streaming

Inside Amazon's Music Streaming Service For Prime Members

For $99, Prime members get a streaming video service, ebook lending library, free two-day shipping--and starting today, a music service.Amazon is rounding out its Prime membership with the addition of a streaming music service. On Thursday the e-commerce giant launched Prime Music with more than... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #inside amazon #music service #prime members #starting today #prime membership #additional cost

Stephen Colbert has some choice words for Amazon (+video)

In a recent episode of his show, Colbert discussed the dispute between Amazon and publisher Hachette which has caused some books, including his own, to be delayed or unavailable to customers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen Colbert has some choice words for Amazon

Amazon Reportedly Will Launch Music-Streaming Service This Summer

Amazon will launch a music-streaming service under its Prime membership plan, BuzzFeed reported Thursday. According to the news site, the e-commerce giant has inked deals with two out of the three major music labels, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. The service, slated for June... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #streaming music #$3 billion